Fricco are lacy “crackers” made of cheese. They are great as a garnish and can elevate the most humble dish into something elegant. They can be shaped how you like by using a mold on the flat cooking surface, or you can drape the fricco over a mold so as it cools it will take that shape. At one restaurant we form strips of fricco that we then wrapped around a bottle to form rings that went around baby romaine leaves for a salad. Save the shattered bits for sprinkling on salads or into soups or eggs.
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This is your basic method for cooking shelling beans (or “shellys” as some people call them) such as cranberry, borlotti, or Tongues of Fire. This recipe is a great jumping-off point. You can eat these beans “as-is”, and if you have leftovers they go great with grains or into a soup such as a minestrone. You can use this recipe and add in sausages and cooked rapini for a one dish meal, or you can use a nice vegetable stock with some carrots and celery and add some long cooked farro, and puree for a wonderful soup. If you have pesto, it is a wonderful seasoning for these beans. Just stir in a dollop and enjoy an end of summer treat. Enjoy shelling beans while you can, as the season is fairly short, and then these will all be dried beans.
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My take on a classic. I think the lemon brightens the dish considerably. Yeah, I know, the dish has cream, but if you consider that you are only eating a couple tablespoons at a time, and it is on vegetables, it really isn’t so much. Reducing cream for the sauce is quicker than making a roux for béchamel, and doesn’t use any butter, so you come out ahead I’d say. This cream sauce would go brilliantly with peas.
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Summer at last! After an especially cold and foggy summer, here it is the second half of September and we are enjoying by far the nicest weather of the year. The eggplant, beans, peppers, basil, and squash are all loving it. So, you’ll be seeing more kinds of beans and peppers, basil, summer squash and eggplant soon.
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Summer at last! After an especially cold and foggy summer, here it is the second half of September and we are enjoying by far the nicest weather of the year. The eggplant, beans, peppers, basil, and squash are all loving it. So, you’ll be seeing more kinds of beans and peppers, basil, summer squash and eggplant soon. Tomatoes are also finally getting a break from the blight-inducing cool weather.
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This takes its inspiration from the “salads” of Morocco. There, vegetables are mixed, cooked or not, and then dressed and served at various temperatures and called “salads”, although they are not what most Americans think of when they hear “salad”. (“Hey! Where’s the lettuce?”) I love this for the colors as well as the flavor and textures. You’ll want your fixed blade slicer for this…
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These radishes are plum sized and colored, but unlike plums can pack a bit of heat. Here, I “quickle” them and use a dressing that helps mitigate the heat. The idea for this comes from taquerias, where there is always cilantro, sour cream and frequently radishes. I cheat, though, and use yogurt instead of sour cream.
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This is the basic method for sautéing mustard greens. You can add to it as you will. Blanch, then sauté in aromatics flavored with some sort of fat (I tend to go with bacon, ham, or prosciutto because I love the flavor, but good olive oil works fine as a base.) Finish with a dash of acid and serve. For the acid, I vary it based on what the dish is being served with. White wine, cider, red wine, or white balsamic vinegars, or lemon juice, all can come into play-just think of what the dish will be served with to aid your choice.
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This is a simple dressing where the jelly fills in for herbs and the sugar adds balance to the vinegar. Use this for the Caprese with a Twist salad or use it for pork chops or pan roasted chicken.
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Okay, let’s face it. Insalata Caprese is a wonderful thing, but it has become a “classic”. So, in the spirit of keeping things new and fresh (heh), here is a twist. At the Aptos Farmer’s Market, I tasted an Amethyst Basil jelly from Fogline Farm, and immediately thought of this, especially since I had just gotten some heirloom tomatoes. There are a ton of recipes for basil and purple basil jelly/jam out there, and I think it is a great “secret ingredient” to have on hand for many things. This one is a nice amethyst color with a light body and just right scent. It is perfect for this salad.
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This dish got its name when my wife would ask what’s for dinner and I’d say, “Seared fish with a small tomato salad”. Not small because I use small tomatoes, but because I never made that much of it. This salad depends entirely on the tomatoes, so use the best. I like to use several different types of heirloom tomatoes for the different colors and flavors they bring to the plate. This is the basic salad that I use to top seared fish, but see below for other uses.
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Nobody will ever accuse me of being the world’s most organized farmer. There was a time, however, when I used to make stakes to mark where each variety of winter squash began and ended in the field at planting time. I can also remember once having made a map of the squash field. This year I did neither.
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I love the smokey sweet flavor of Pimenton de la Vera ( Spanish smoked paprika) and am always looking for ways to show it off in dishes. This was a dish that came together on the fly to complement an herbed grilled steak and grilled Padron peppers, and I was quite happy with the results.
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This is based on a traditional Indian recipe, but I have simplified it a fair bit. One thing that is different is the addition of garlic, which I have found is usually not used in Hindi cooking. This dish is good as is, but can also have garbanzo beans added to it to make it more substantial. The optional garnish of fried shallots is not necessary but does taste great.
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Every year our little parent participation k-8 charter school in Watsonville agonizes over hard decisions as it faces budget cut after budget cut. How much more can we cut music, art, field trips, and physical education? How much more can we raise class size? Meanwhile conscientious teachers send home food logs, so the kids and hopefully their parents, can think about eating more healthy foods.
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This is my riff on a dish from “The Silver Spoon Pasta” book, and it is the epitome of “easy”. It is perfect for when you are bushed and want something quick and simple. However, because it is so simple, there is nowhere for inferior ingredients to hide, so only use tomatoes that are full of flavor, and basil that is fresh and aromatic.
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There are many versions of this salad, but the universal constant seems to be old bread and tomatoes and onions. I figure this salad grew out of the “cucina povera” canon, where waste, want not was the theme. Before Columbus, tomatoes were not part of this dish, but they certainly are now. This is a great way to use up older bread, but if you can’t wait, just rip up the bread early in the day and let it sit out a few hours, or throw it in the oven on low. I have also grilled or fried the bread for variation. Again, this is where a fixed-blade slicer can speed things up.
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With the sweet and nutty tasting dressing, this is a cole slaw even kids love. My kids are always happy to see this salad, and I took it to a couple different school potlucks and discovered it was a hit there, both with the parents and the kids. Again, this is so easy with a fixed-blade slicer. Use the medium comb for the carrots, and just the blade for the cabbage, and slice it thinly.
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Certainly the easiest way to cook Padrons, especially if you are grilling already, and you happen to have a spritz bottle for your oil. Keep an eye on these as they go quickly. When I first made these, I only did a few, figuring the kids wouldn’t care for them. Wrong! By the time I cleaned the grill and sat down, they had eaten most of them. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to grill up some more for myself.
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On Saturday, Steve and I went to San Francisco for the memorial of a dear old friend, Miguel Wooding. Miguel was one of the most selfless, smart, and energetic people I’ve ever met. He had dedicated the past 20 years of his life to helping San Francisco tenants to stay in their homes and providing homes for those who were homeless. Miguel tragically lost his life when he was hit by a jet ski while snorkeling on vacation. His death leaves a gaping hole in so many lives, and even though we hadn’t seen him in 15 years, we still feel his loss as acutely as if we had been with him just yesterday.
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INGREDIENTS:
½ pound haricot vert (filet beans) 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar 1 teaspoon finely minced shallot ½ teaspoon finely minced thyme A pinch of kosher salt Fresh ground black pepper to taste 3-4 oz. heavy whipping creamContinue reading »
One of the things I like to do in the kitchen is make vegetable dishes using the same method as I would a meat dish. In this instance, I was thinking of a pot roast done with Chantenay carrots instead of chuck roast. I love Chantenay carrots, especially when they get bigger. The stubby shape with the larger diameter makes them perfect for trimming into larger shapes that take a longer cooking yielding a deep flavor. For the potatoes, you want a waxy potato that will hold it’s shape when cooked, and the Bintje is great for this.
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